The Magic Flate goes to the movies

Press, 19 August 1981, Page 21

The Magic Flate goes to the movies

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

Magic Flute. Swedish Radio Chorus and Symphony,-Orchestra conducted by Eric Ericson on World Records WH 3998/3 from 8.8. C. Records REK 223. Recorded at the Circus Studio May. 1974, Stockholm. •Qn principle, apart from '-other obviqus/factors, I am using/fhe sound-track . .of films for .direct, distribu- . lion oh; recordings. : Aside ■ from the , fact. that movie moguls don't seem to get the expected quality from the score, the struggle between the visuals and the audibles ’ usually ends up to the detriment of the latter.

Ingmar film of . the opera is a classic case of music designed to fit the director’s ideas, so the most one can say is that it is a • “different” work. Under the hands of Eric Ericson '..there is a certain novelty . effect, from the ■Swedish Radio Symphony’s . version of the work. It is ? sung in Swedish (and spoken), but the differences’ to the: score are so marked that it almost makes /it impossible to compare it with any, of the usual versions. It is a lightweight, which, doesn't matter too much, and full of simple wonder and child-like dreams and these factors are all to the-Credit of the director. Gone is the ponderous quality of some Flutes, but it is debatable as to whether some of the

work’s more, profound elements have been sacrificed. The sound is forward and this is reminiscent of the 1950 s and early 1960 s as far recording techniques are concerned. The choir is adequate, if undistinguished, and the soloists are good on the whole,' though unsophisticated. A bit of a gamole. TRIBUTE TO KATHLEEN FERRIER. Portrait of a well-loved singer. World Records WR 3345 from 8.8. C. Sound Archives. Because of its bittiness, it is hard to recommend this one Outright or simply plumb for

the Connoisseur disc on CO 530,' if there has to be a . choice of one. Too much chat -■ and a good deal which could have been dispensed with — and too little singing. borne of the songs are badly recorded and ill chosen, some of the tribute is rather, superficial and repetitive. Her best piece is .unquestionably the Orfeo and Euridice selection which has been judiciously reserved for r last, while others art certainly not representative of her finest work. Miss Ferrier herself is not particularly articulate, but her little send up of The Floral Dance is amusing and her sincerity shines through like a ray of sunlight in a dusty cupboard. Other snatches of information mark the milestones in her career.

Roy Henderson's views on her technique stress the breakthrough from the English folk song: to Bruno Walter’s Mahler and the giant step forward from average material in to another, dimension. Sir Peter Pears is adequate as compere, of pro- , ceedings, though. there are others who might have handled the situation better. Gerald Moore was surprisingly dry and Benjamin Britten’s summing up of the singer’s qualities left out the most important issues. A valuable recording for unissued material but disnens-

iiJQicnai uut UiapeilSable in the main. BRUCH. Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2. Yehudi Menuhin, violin with the LSO conducted by Sir. Adrian Boult on World Records STZ 1299 from HMV ASD 2852. Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto seems to be so much with us at present (the number 1, of course), that a few timely comments on the pros and cons of Menuhin’s sweettoned version will not go astray. This is not his first recording, but it is the only one which contains the two widely varying works. Featuring our own Peter Schaffer, who makes such a lovely, job of it, the number 1 is a work full of inspiration and melody. Number 2, on the other hand, is melodic enough, though curiously lacking in inspiration.

Three slow movements and a few embellishments tacked on the finale do not a concerto make, so the deficiencies of the opus 44 only serve to heighten the contrast between the two works. As expected, there is plenty of - competition to Menuhin; Oistrakh, Ricci, Heifetz, Stern and latterly Accardo and Zukerman.. All brilliant, but none with quite

the rapport Menuhin enjoys I with Boult. Menuhin’s collaboration I with Boult with the first I concerto is practically I unbeatable and this is the I pattern which Peter Schaffer I follows. The musical balance between solo and orchestral f statement is near perfect, f and this is the ace card s which tops the rest — so far x anyway. c

Should a prospective buyer find it confusing to select one from the two dozen g versions available, this one would take a lot of beating on side one.